South bank and postmodernism

As we already know, postmodernism movement began to rise right after the fall of modernism, that followed the idea of the traditional art.

Postmodernism pushed the boundaries of norms and had an impact on every type of art: architecture, literature, films and many more. The definition of postmodernism implies questioning rational or scientific explanations, expressing opinion or emotion in a “new”, unknown way.

A perfect example of postmodernism could be South Bank Graffiti Tunnel, also known as “Bansky Tunnel“. It is about 300 metres long, runs off York Road and under the platforms and tracks of Waterloo station. The tunnel is known for its’ walls, decorated with graffiti, it is originally created for”Cans Festival “and organised by Banksy in 2008. Banksy is a British graffiti artist,  that uses his art in order to mock today’s society. In his works, Bansky highlights the greatest issues of today’s society. Dark humour and irony are always present in his way of expression.

“Together we will transform a dark forgotten filth pit  into an oasis of beautiful art” – said Bansky and was right.

Today anyone can legally paint on the walls of Leake Street Tunnel, though recent artworks don’t stay there for long, as the new artists come to overlap it with their own artwork. Despite the short life of graffiti (2-5 days), the tunnel is still one of the most popular attractions in South Bank, thanks to the scary shows and events within the tunnel.

   

Another example of postmodern influence is the skateboarding area in South Bank. The undercroft of the Southbank Centre became home for many young people, whose lifestyle consists of such activities as skateboarding, bicycling and roller skating. The skateboarding area exists for over 40 years, however it did not stop the government from wanting to replace it with “Eat” and another ” Starbucks”. Though, after a long 18 month battle the supporters of a Facebook group” Save the Southbank Skateboarding” have finally obtained the agreement of keeping the undercroft. The followers of a street lifestyle  convinced the government to keep the area, as it symbolises a historical value for many generations.

 

Ethnocentrism in the Media

Ethnicity, in its most simple definition, refers to cultural differences between social groups. But what sort of conflicts arise from these differences, and how are they represented in the media?

An example of ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism explores the belief that an individual’s ethnic group is superior to all others. In the practice of being ‘ethnocentric’, we judge someone else’s culture by the values and standards that we hold in our own. If we see someone doing something that we aren’t used to, or doing something in a way that is different to our own method, we automatically think it to be weird or consider them to be ‘different’ and even inferior to us. Consider the classic “driving on the wrong side” debate between the UK and the US. Americans visiting the UK often comment on the fact that motorists in the drive on the left side of the road, rather than the right, as is done in their country (and vice versa). The issue of ethnocentrism arises here because both countries think that their way of driving is more ‘correct’ or superior – which is not the case.

We constantly see examples of ethnocentrism in the media, though we might be less aware of it as these references tend to be rather subtle, and are often hidden behind humour. One notable example where we see ethnocentrism in the media is in the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Here, in the opening scenes we see the movie’s main character, Toula Portokalos, constantly questioning her Greek heritage, while her parents offer responses that ultimately reinforce the importance of Greek culture. In one particular scene, Toula notes what she describes as two things in which her father believes: “that Greeks should educate non-Greeks about being Greek” and that any ailment can be cured with Windex (a popular American branded hard-surface cleaner).

Despite the light-hearted intention of this joke (this is made clear by the Windex reference) we still see the concept of ethnocentrism here because making the assumption that non-Greeks need to be educated by Greeks reinforces the opinion or belief that Greeks are superior to non-Greeks. This likely isn’t the intended interpretation of this scene, yet it still comes across.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Movie

In looking at ethnocentrism, we can also consider issues of racism. Holding ethnocentric ideals and views can give way to racist and supremacist views, as one’s belief in the superiority of their own culture might lead them to look for other reasons to denigrate a culture which they believe is inferior. One of the ways in which they might do this is to discriminate or be prejudiced against people based on their race.  This is particularly an issue in the media, as this can lead to the creation and perpetuation of negative stereotypes about certain groups in society. We can analyse one movie in particular in order to better understand this.

In the 1972 movie The Godfather, one scene portrays the mafia sitting down for a meeting to discuss the death of a family member. In the scene, when a discussion about drug trading arises ‘Don Zaluci’, the head of the mafia’s Detroit branch, says that if it were up to him, he would keep the drug traffic ‘in the dark people – the coloured’ because ‘they are animals anyway’ so they can ‘lose their souls’.

Meeting scene in The Godfather (1972)

In a movie that celebrates the Italian-American culture so strongly, it is not shocking to see such an example of racism as a consequence of ethnocentrism. While the views shown here might have been appropriate for the time period in which the movie was set, it is clear that today, that isn’t the case and such a movie might only promote such negative stereotypes of black people.

We see ethnocentrism all over the media, though we may not often realise it. In some cases it might be more overt than others i.e. in The Godfather, or at times more subdued and comedic i.e. in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Though it might be difficult at times to be aware of ethnocentrism in the media, it is important to understand the negative effects it can have in society, in terms of perpetuating issues of race.

Cultural Jamming

The formula of advertisements and commercials is the way people are represented on the platform. Frequently, the role of the media is to direct people’s appearance, outfit, behavior and consumption. Advertisements, for instance, commonly show good-looking models with perfect features and fit bodies, which are there to show how individuals need to look in order to suit within the society. However, culture jams are the movement that is fighting against all this regulations. As Mark Derry, one of the first people to write about it, named it: “artistic terrorism”. They also show the reality in a sarcastic and satiric way.

McDonald’s

Fashion

One of the culture jams I posted is an advertisement for McDonald’s that represents the symbol of the brand, the clown, as a doctor. The idea of the advert is to show the audience that McDonald’s have a great impact on their health.  The second example is representing three fashionable brands by adding texts for each one of them. The message behind is highlighting the influence of the media on women who are trying to become the models on such advertisements. They are following beauty ideals which are not realistic but retouched with Photoshop. In addition, it mentions the eating disorders that some women experience due to the media culture.

Cultural Jamming

The formula of advertisements and commercials is the way people are represented on the platform. Frequently, the role of the media is to direct people’s appearance, outfit, behavior and consumption. Advertisements, for instance, commonly show good-looking models with perfect features and fit bodies, which are there to show how individuals need to look in order to suit within the society. However, culture jams are the movement that is fighting against all this regulations. As Mark Derry, one of the first people to write about it, named it: “artistic terrorism”. They also show the reality in a sarcastic and satiric way.

One of the culture jams I posted is an advertisement for McDonald’s that represents the symbol of the brand, the clown, as a doctor. The idea of the advert is to show the audience that McDonald’s have a great impact on their health.  The second example is representing three fashionable brands by adding texts for each one of them. The message behind is highlighting the influence of the media on women who are trying to become the models on such advertisements. They are following beauty ideals which are not realistic but retouched with Photoshop. In addition, it mentions the eating disorders that some women experience due to the media culture.

Postmodernism and Andy Warhol by Hannah Stevens

A revolutionary movement that emerged suddenly in the 1960’s altered the history of art forever. This exciting and unique style is widely known today as Postmodernism. A multitude of knowledgeable professors, artists, critics, and highly educated scholars have attempted to supply a proper definition for the word.

“In Modernism, reality used to validate media. In Postmodernism, the media validates reality. If you don’t believe this, just think how many times you’ve described some real event being ‘just like a movie.’   

-Brad Holland

Curiously, in spite of all the efforts made, a specific definition has not been decided. There remains to be a diverse range of answers to what precisely Postmodernism may be. Making this topic of conversation exceedingly controversial. A simplistic way of defining it would be that Postmodernism is a direct retaliation and reaction to Modernism.

Beginning an age that attempts to dissolves the boundaries between reality and logical reason. Postmodernism was ultimately invented to destroy the normal constructs society had fabricated for us so we can break all the rules. Therefore, invoking the ability of freedom of expression and the freedom of thought. A famous contemporary artist who is highly befitting of the term, Postmodernist, is Andy Warhol. This acclaimed genius was mostly known for his pieces created in the style deemed as pop art. Pop art is also in association with abstract expressionism.  Warhol did further explore with different mediums such as silkscreening, film making, and painting

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The Campbell Soup Can has become a visual culture icon in the world of art. Furthermore, this image managed to evolve into Warhol’s classic and main signature. When someone sees this particular image, either in a small coffee shop or a popular bookstore, people automatically think of Andy Warhol. Disgruntled speculation does arise through the question of whether or not this piece is actual art. Can we call it art? Having people ponder or asking these types of questions supports the entire philosophy and theory behind Postmodernism. What Warhol has created is breaking free of the constructs of artistic expectations and Modernism. He has created something entirely fresh and controversial. 

Andy Warhol applied the Postmodern technique called ‘bricolage’ to several of his works. The term derives from the French word that translates into “do it yourself”.  This method was developed by artists in the early twentieth century due to the lack of resources. Artists would employ whatever materials around them or anything at hand, and incorporate them artistically into their pieces. In this image of a hamburger, Warhol has utilized the materials of white linen and acrylic paints. Another example of detaching from the original technique and methods on how art pieces were perceived to be created.  

 

Check out this link to: What is Postmodernism?

 

 

 

 

 

Week 12: Globalisation and Postmodernism – Cities, Streets & Spaces

In the first half of this class, we consider the impact of globalization in contemporary visual culture. We conclude the class with a walking tour of the South Bank. Here, we explore postmodern visual culture with a particular focus on the Leake Street graffiti tunnel. 

Mitchell and Webb Sketch (BBC)

Institutional Racism vs Individual Racism

Racial bias is the attitude, belief, behaviour or institutional arrangement that favours one racial group over another (Farely,1995 ). There are two main types of racism or racial bias; individual racism and institutional racism. Individual racism is the assumption that one’s own racial group is superior and rationalizes the dominance and power generally white people over black. This type of racism would be targeted at an individual’s personal beliefs (Allison and Belgrave, 2009). Whilst institutional racism is the policies and practices within organizations and institutions that contribute to discrimination for a group of people (Allison and Belgrave, 2009).

The past few years have been a huge leap in the advancements towards racial equality, however, it can also be argued that things are worse now more than ever. It is easy to distinguish few years has been a huge leap in the advancements towards racial equality, moreover, it can also be argued that things are worse now more than ever. It is easy to distinguish or notice the problems that people of colour have within the media industry if we look into various settings you can see that people of colour are not treated equally to white people.
A key example of institutional racism can be seen in South Africa during apartheid when a small number of white people ruled over black people, leading to the government controlling the interaction between different races in order to maintain control over them. White people were provided with better homes, schools and hospitals (Senker, 2009)
To think that racism or racial does not exist anymore in not accurate in fact racism exists in most societies today. For example, in the United States of America  racism is still prevalent today, it could also be argued that the past few years issues concerning race and ethnicity are at the forefront of the American society today. In most states there is a racial divide like that during apartheid South Africa, but only in this case, it is both individual and institutionalized, even though the US has a majority amount of Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians and other minorities there is much discrimination both individual and institutionalized.

Social movements such as #blacklivesmatter has brought to the flight that racial tensions are still strong between whites and non-whites. The significant rise of police brutality among non-white American has also significantly risen in the past few years addressing the issue of whether institutionalised racism is still active in American government. It is easier to distinguish or notice the problems that people of colour have within the media industry if we look into various settings you can see that people of colour are not treated equally. Recent controversy of the Academy Awards where there has been a recent trend of the nominee which is typically a white man. The lack of representation of non-white people is evident and even if there is some representation of a typical black person it is usually that they are stereotyped as a drug dealer, thug or uneducated.

Consequently, it could be argued that black females and that of other ethnic minorities are racially discriminated in institutional settings and are not given the opportunities to move up the corporate ladder 27% of the CEOs in the US are female and only a certain percentage are in charge of Fortune 500 companies.

Colonialism has left such a past that it still affects the way that societies interact, whether it be conscious or unconscious and through this experience non-white ethnicities have become to see themselves as the ‘Other’. This is further elaborated by Stuart Hall who stated that culturally identity is not a fixed essence but rather that it has a history which still impacts us today.

Latino Stereotypes in Media

Every race has been stereotyped within media since the very beginning of its founding. These stereotypes not only influence public views, but media has helped to perpetuate these racist stereotypes for longer than they should have been. There are many different types of stereotypes casted upon the Hispanic community, but all of them are degrading nonetheless.  The stereotypes that taint the Hispanic community range from ‘The Latin Lover’ and ‘The Harlot’ to ‘The Bandit’ and ‘The Domestic’.

‘The Latin0 Lover’ was first introduced into media in the early 1920’s with the popularity of Western movies. ‘The Latino Lover’ is usually seen in a positive light for being the protagonist, but the issue with the ‘Latino Lover’ is that when it was first introduced, they weren’t even played by Latinos. The first ‘Latino Lovers’ were played by Italian actors because the real life Latino were looked down upon for being Latino.

Italian Actor, Rudolph Valentino.

The next stereotype that many Latina women face is ‘The Harlot’. ‘The Harlot’ is known for being a very sexual being, that is based around sexuality, passion and desire. ‘The Harlot’ is more commonly know in modern media as ‘The Mamacita’. This stereotype that is pushed onto Latina women not only inaccurate, but also objectifying. The media’s portrayal of Latina women in this light over sexualizes them and basically implies that they are only worthy depending on how sexual and attractive they are. This typecast can be seen with some of the first Latina Hollywood actresses like Carmen Miranda and Rita Hayworth where the industry capitalized on their bodies. This stereotype is still seen in today’s media with the like of Sofia Vergara, who plays the sexy Latina on Modern Family.

Carmen Miranda

Rita Hayworth

 

Sofia Vergara

‘The Bandito’ and ‘The Domestic’ are probably the most racist stereotypes that are cast upon the Latino community through media. ‘The Bandito’ known as the ‘Bandit’ puts Latinos into a very discriminatory place. Most Latinos, especially in early media, were showcased as bandits that either knew very little to no Spanish and those that did know English spoke it very heavily accented. They displayed the Latino community to be unintelligent, dirty, lazy criminals. This ‘Bandito’ can be seen as early as black and white Western films and while Western films aren’t as popular anymore, ‘The Bandito’ stereotype is still around just more modern. ‘The Bandito’ has evolved just as media has to become the ‘Gang-banger’ stereotype where most Latinos are shown playing gang members in dirty, poor areas. This ‘Cholo’ stereotype is played by even White actors when they try to portray a Latino person, like Jonah Hill in “22 Jump Street”.

Jonah Hill in ’22 Jump Street’

‘The Domestic’ is also a very degrading, yet highly common stereotype that follows Latinos in the media. ‘The Domestic’ portrays Latinos as new and often illegal immigrants that speak very little, heavily accented, English and work as maids, gardeners, janitors, etc. This is specific stereotype is the staple within in the media industry. The portrayal of said stereotype usually makes the Latino character seem unintelligent due to their lack of knowledge of the English language and also that they work in what most were deem  a low-qualifying job. Characters like Consuela the maid from “Family Guy”  are further proof of just how disrespectful this stereotype towards Latinos can be. The movie “Hot Chick” starring Rob Schneider even uses this staple stereotype when he is assumed to be Latino because he is the Gardener for the house that the girl he switched bodies with lives in. When he assumed to be Latino, he continues the charade by using heavily accented English.

Consuela from ‘Family Guy’

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Schneider as the ‘Latino Gardener’ in “Hot Chick”

Orientalism & Film

Definition:

Depiction, and/or imitation of Asia from a westernised/colonial point of view.

– usually east asian countries but does incorporate Arab states and other Asian countries.

Orientalism in film, historically, was the way colonialists saw viewed Asia when they arrived.

• The Disney Aladdin animation (1992) is a classic example of the this.
  • Accents of characters, song lyrics etc.

Shift in Definition

• In recent years, it has not solely been the view from the old colonialist perspective.
• Rather, we seen that it’s the western view of Asia, based on the prominent societal problem.
• Here’s three films that illustrate this evolved definition.

1. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) d. Danny Boyle.

• Already from the title, we can see that this is a view of the setting, in which the film is based.
• The plot follows a 18 year old orphan who is one question away from winning 20 million rupees.
• It views the extreme poverty that is present in India, as well as highlighting other societal problems throughout the narrative.

2. Furious 7 (2015) d. James Wan

• This is an example of another growing perspective.
• Generally in the media, more recently, Asia has a very polarised view; extreme crisis (poverty/war etc.) or extreme wealth.
• In Furious 7, in the scene where they travel to Abu Dhabi, we see a very glamourised setting and lifestyle. 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqpLey7dneo

3. London Has Fallen (2016) d. Babak Najafi

• Interestingly, since 9/11, there’s been an increase in action films that involve some sort of terrorism.
• In this film (which was terrible), we see a terrorist group organising attacks from a Middle-Eastern country, with infiltrators within the UK. Sounds like ISIS pretty much, doesn’t it?
• This is another view from the West perspective that has been on the rise in film.

SUMMARY

Just to summarise, all these case studies are to show the slight shift in the definition of Orientalism.

• From old colonialist view (how colonialists saw Asia when they arrived) to the Westernised view based on current affairs.